Chris Lombardi puts defense and security under the spotlight, as he shares his takes on recent NATO and EU cooperation and provides insight into the company’s own long-term strategic partnerships in Europe.

Three trends are currently driving the global electricity sector: decarbonization, decentralization and differentiation. Utilities are making significant contributions to mitigate carbon emissions, while a technology revolution is …

NEWS IN BRIEF

A TELECOMS tie-up between US operators MCI and WorldCom is not likely to face opposition from EU anti-trust regulators, a European Commission spokesman said this week. The deal worth 32 million ecu “would not be a fundamental problem at the European level”, he said. The agreement means an earlier proposed venture between BT and MCI, approved by the Union last May, will no longer go ahead.

European Voice

11/12/97, 5:00 PM CET

Updated 4/12/14, 2:38 AM CET

ECONOMIC sentiment in the EU was at its highest level for seven years in October, according to the Commission’s latest business and consumer surveys. They found that manufacturing industry soaked up more of its excess capacity, and both new orders and export volume expectations were also at their highest levels. The Commission said the findings confirmed the “encouraging results” from the industrial confidence indicator, which also rose to its highest level for two years last month.

CITRIC acid market activity by US firm Archer Daniels Midland Co (ADM) is being scrutinised by the Commission. In a recent filing to the US securities and exchange commission, ADM said it had been asked to supply EU competition officials with information regarding the possible existence of agreements and concerted practices which could fall foul of Union anti-trust rules. Last year the company pleaded guilty to price-fixing in the US market and paid a record \$100 million (87-million-ecu) fine.

A FINAL verdict on the planned merger of Stena Line and P&O’s cross-channel ferry services will be delivered by Competition Commissioner Karel van Miert next week.

But a spokesman refused to confirm press reports that the Commission would clear the deal subject to a review of market conditions after the planned abolition of duty-free sales in 1999. There has also been speculation that the UK’s monopolies and mergers commission is itself likely to impose a price-capping regime on the companies’ merged operations to avoid steep tariff increases.

FERRY operator Sea France, which runs services across the English Channel, has retained the right to sell duty-free goods until 30 June 1999. The European Court of Justice rejected a complaint from the French and British companies operating the Channel Tunnel that Sea France was offering below-cost fares subsidised by the money it made from duty-free sales.

FRANCE’S off-course horse racing betting system is set to be re-examined by the European Court of First Instance, after it rejected an initial complaint by bookmakers Ladbroke Racing against the Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) which enjoys exclusive control of the sector.

The European Court of Justice said the lower EU Court had erred in law when it rejected Ladbroke’s claims that the agreement between ten racing companies that forms the basis of the PMU constituted an abuse of dominant position and fell foul of EU anti-trust rules.